I Am Legend
by Aeternum Spe
Summary: Percy's the lone son of Erebus, one who gave up on humanity a long time ago. When an evil being arises, threatening to turn the world to ash, he decides to help the mortals, if only to erase the debt he owes the gods. Percy has a death wish though, the power he wields is slowly killing him, and for the first time, he wonders if he made a mistake coming to earth. DarkPercy!
1. Prologue

_**Summary: Percy's a famous immortal huntsman who travels the world searching constantly for adventures. He's mischievous, a loner, and his wicked sarcasm causes the twelve Olympians quite the headache. But then the world falls into chaos. A death threat made by the devil himself hangs over the entire world and the gods discover they need the elusive hunter to save their hides more than ever. Can Percy do it or will he fall among the fallen?**_

_**A/N: I got this idea from various places. The first one being the "Battle of Thermopylae", a famous battle between the Greeks and the Persians, that happened in 480 B.C. Considering the summary, it's safe to say it's an AU and that Percy clearly is going to be a badass. **_

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Chapter One: Prologue

Quote: _He only earns his freedom and his life who takes them every day by storm. _

_-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe _

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2,492 years ago…

_480 B.C. _

The afternoon air was thick with mist and screams, blood and war cries, gleaming blades and piercing arrows. So much blood had already been spilled that in places the river ran red. Trees with emerald leaves had crimson tears staining their crumbling foliage and rocks wept as they were splattered with death.

One man with twin blades stood on a boulder overlooking the battle. His piercing eyes, dark aqua with a ring of sapphire blue near the edge of his iris, watched as his faithful men fell to the conniving Persians as they shot arrows, spears, and wicked daggers laced with poison.

He was of average height with a lithe body that hid the muscles lurking underneath. His pale skin was flawless, completely lacking the battle scars and tattoos of his comrades. He kept his dark hair shaggy and made sure it was just the right length to hide his striking eyes from anyone who dared stare straight at them. And on his dazzling face he wore a smirk. It shone with arrogance, self-confidence, and it held wisdom that made regular humans feel inferior.

He was the greatest warrior the Greek empire had ever seen, and today's battle only strengthened his legendary reputation.

A desperate Persian that got through a wave of his men lunged at him with a spear dripping green liquid. But the commander simply spun: The blade in his right hand smashing the spear to pieces, the tip of his left piercing the lone warrior through the torso.

He smirked and his aqua eyes flashed. A black cape adorned his body and it swam with the wind as it blew through the area smelling of death. The end hung in tatters, almost seemingly dissolving as the breeze nuzzled against it, and it radiated a sense of power that put the land's king to shame.

The man fell to the ground by his feet.

A quartet of swordsmen surrounded him, rushed at him with their menacing blades shining under the watchful sun and their shields held protectively against their armored bodies. He leaped at one of the men, ducked under his flailing sword, and crashed into his shield that bent under the commander's strength.

Behind him, the Persian's colleagues slammed into each other, crashing to the ground with little to no grace.

It was a moment's work to strike them down. He aimed for the knees of the first, punctured the stomach of the second and claimed the third with a double-thrust of his twin swords, and the fourth fell when he swung his arm forward and let a hidden dagger sing through the dank air.

The commander's hands and arms were drenched in his enemies' foul blood. He sheathed both swords and took a moment to flex his stiff fists—the bones cracking loud enough to be heard over the battle field—and wipe them on the dead man's tunic that lay by his feet.

There was a wound on his forearm, a deep cut that bled crimson tears. He couldn't recall receiving it and he personally didn't care. With one step back, he was covered by a large tree's shadow and the slice, after being surrounded by a dark light that pulsed, healed up instantly.

The air around him shifted.

From the east came a low rumbling. The commander didn't waste any time looking around—he knew what it was. His hands snapped out in front of his body, palms facing the approaching cloud, and a wall of semi-opaque soul self surrounded him in a dome.

Moments later the bright sky darkened. Like rain from the depths of Hell, thousands of arrows rushed from the sky and brought down ally and enemy alike. Blood splattered and covered the muddy ground with a few hundred more losses.

Covered by the ebony wall, the commander only smirked. Only a desperate leader would order his archers to fire this early in a battle.

As the last of the arrows thudded to the ground and became lifeless, he grabbed his swords and began to run. His steel-toed boots thudded against the littered ground. Some sweat ran down the side of his face, but, as it dripped to the bloody dirt below, his smirk only grew and the arrogant aura swirling around him increased tenfold.

The commander leaped over bodies, skirted around shattered and burning chariots, and—without slowing—slaughtered every Persian in his path.

Somewhere to the east he knew the Persian General was watching. And he was sure the man was praying to the war god Ares that he would be struck down before he got too close.

_Like that bastard would help anyone. _He thought with a strange sense of fondness.

Another rumble shook the sky; more arrows fell from the heavens. He took shelter behind a half-dead horse, leaning down so that the beast shielded his entire body. The stench of the animal almost blocked out the smell of blood, and the ground shook from its pain-filled roars.

The arrows fell and the dust settled down. The horse was silent and still.

The Persian General would already be planning his retreat, the commander knew. The coward would disappear through the humid jungle and lie to his king about the success of the attack.

In terms of numbers, the Persians won hands down. They we astounding warriors, highly trained and well-equipped. His own men were exceptional fighters; ready to lay down their life for their king, but the Grecian empire was vastly outnumbered and held numerous traitors that sold precious secrets and strategies.

The commander didn't know how many of his men had fallen, but he strongly suspected that nearly all seven thousand had made the journey to the underworld by now.

But he would not fall today, and neither would the Grecian empire, not to the Persians.

He broke cover and bounded towards the enemy's encampment. A frenzied cry rose from their shrinking ranks, and their archers began firing at will, no longer awaiting orders from their panicking general.

Again, this was a good sign. The commander smirked and—still sprinting—whistled a high-pitched melody that caused onrushing enemies to cringe slightly. The ground began shaking.

An arrow whipped past his face and another followed closely. He raised his left sword and knocked it out of the air and used his right to split a spear aimed for his thigh. Less than a minute later, a few nearby archers were lying on the ground in their own blood and a spearman was strewn in pieces.

A few minutes even later and he was too close to the Persians for them to use their archers at all.

A dozen or more swordsmen rushed at him at once. He ran, tensed his muscles, and then leaped over them, spinning around to fling his swords in a downward arch, taking out four men before he even touched the ground.

The Persians came at him with spears and daggers drenched in acid. He hacked everyone to pieces with fury and speed almost unimaginable. Now desperate and mindless of their own men, the archers began firing arrows with little to no aim, releasing a cloud of projectiles which he struck or shattered as they came towards him.

They launched spears and tridents and nets.

He smashed everyone faster than their mortal eyes could see.

The Persian slaves—promised freedom if they could stop the Greeks—charged at him with dull daggers and wooden clubs. He knew they were not warriors; neither bred nor trained to fight. They didn't deserve to die, not like this in the least.

He still killed them anyways.

Then a large snake burst from the dry, rocky ground. It was at least fifty feet high with dark green scales and large yellow eyes adorned with flecks of gold. Sharp fangs dripped with saliva and poison; deadly stuff that would paralyze instantly before killing minutes later.

He eyed the snake fondly. "Slay them all, Creed, every last one of them."

Screams were his answer.

He watched the basilisk mow down the Persians left and right, smirking every time he saw one urinate or vomit in fear. Men lay moaning, stranded, puddles of blood pooling around their paralyzed bodies. Then they died.

Every single one of them

Creed made his way towards the General, yellow eyes gleaming murderously. The man cowered on his golden chariot, staff shaking and rattling like a falling leaf. Sweat was making its way down his bronzed skin decorated with scars and his throat lurched with a choking gulp.

The snake loomed overhead.

"Enough, Creed, he's mine."

The General, grateful to get away from the monster, scrambled down from the chariot and stumbled his way over to the commander in semi-relief. His coal black hair shone under the bright sun and his bronze skin sparkled. He wore a long spotless white tunic and he had a simple gold band around his sweaty forehead.

"I am Firuz, first General of the royal guard of Lord Darius—"

"Kneel," The commander ordered; a smirk on his dirty face. "Kneel before the Champion of Athens and Thermopylae."

Without hesitation the Persian General dropped to his knees and lowered his head. A pathetic sight for the commander to bear witness too. Then he looked at the horses hooked to the golden chariot and jerked his head at Creed. "Kill them."

The sound of panicked whinnies and disoriented hooves that echoed around the area was deafening. Then all was silent. Firuz whimpered in fear and the commander turned his harsh glare towards the Persian.

"You are mine." He said. "You will scavenge the dead for weapons and supplies. Any Athens or Thermopylae warrior you find alive, tend his wounds. Any Persian too badly injured, you will kill."

Firuz whimpered again. "You…you would bring us to Sparta?"

The commander's glare hardened and his smirk grew. "No. We will march to Xerxes. Your king will be executed; your vaults will be exhausted." He grabbed Firuz by the collar and sneered. "And you will salt your fields until they turn into bare deserts unable to grow anything edible."

He dropped Firuz and turned to look across the sea of his fallen comrades. "This is the price you pay for messing with Greece." The commander began walking away; his black cape blowing in the wind. "Creed, make sure he doesn't run."

And he was gone.

Firuz wasn't satisfied. "Who are you," he hollered across the lengthening distance. "At least tell me the name of my killer."

Across the distance the commander smirked.

"I'm Perseus, son of Erebus and commander of the Grecian Army."

OOooOO

"King Leonidas, the commander has returned." The king looked up from his throne and eyed the royal messenger shifting nervously at the threshold.

The royal room was vast, large enough to hold hundreds of his prized elephants. The walls were drenched in fine gold and a mural of the great twelve Olympians hung above his head in jaw dropping glory. On the ceiling were skylights that let in the evening sun and on the floor lay a rug woven from golden wool.

"Ah, so young Perseus has been successful, excellent, send him in, Eleutherios." And the nervous messenger shot off like a bullet.

Minutes later a figure clothed in black breathed through the golden doors and glided across the room silently, stopping in front of King Leonidas's throne to stare at the man with unconcealed contempt.

"I heard you've been successful," The king forced a smile to his face. "Excellent, well done my boy, well don—"

"Many men died your highness. This is a time for mourning not for praise." A smooth voice echoed around the throne room. The king narrowed his eyes slightly.

"But still, well done, we are honored to call you our champion." The king sounded anything but. "Now we've gotten reports from our rangers that waves of Egyptians are heading our way and we need you to gather your army and meet them—"

"No."

"What?"

"I said no," The voice was hard like iron. "The only reason I came today was to give you my resignation. After today, my existence will cease to be of any importance."

The king was speechless.

"Now if you excuse me, I have things to do."

And he was gone.

OOooOO

"So you're leaving, huh?"

Perseus spun around to look for the voice smirking behind him. His eyes narrowed and a nasty sneer slid across his handsome face. "What do you want, Uncle Hermes?" He barked at the god.

Said god narrowed his eyes at the immortal being in front of him. "I'm not your Uncle." But Hermes said it with a smirk and soft, mischievous eyes despite being squinted.

Perseus continued walking towards his hut near the edge of the village, knowing his 'Uncle' would follow him. "So you're really leaving?"

He looked back to see the god pouting slightly. "Where are you going to go?"

Perseus sighed and continued on. "I'm thinking about going to a jungle, the amazon jungle I think. I went there one time for King Leonidas and the place was absolutely amazing. It'll take a fortnight, but I truly think it's worth it. Freedom. That's what I want."

"Are you gonna take Creed and Blaise with you?"

He smirked. "Yeah, I'll figure out some way to sneak them onboard. They're family you know, I couldn't leave them behind if I wanted to."

Hermes just smiled as they stopped in front of a crumbling hut made of driftwood. "So I guess this is goodbye?"

Perseus turned as a bird with red feathers that rivaled a fire's landed on his shoulder. "Only for a little while. I'm sure old man Zeus will be calling me in no time. I'll see you again." He reassured.

"Just be careful, okay kid?" He ruffled Perseus's hair. "I wouldn't know what to do without my little prank buddy."

"Hey!" Percy swatted the hand away fondly. "Alright, alright, I'll take care of myself. Just stop!" And both men laughed well naturedly.

"See ya around, kid." And the god was gone in a bright flash. Perseus only smiled.

He turned around and faced the direction of the ocean. He whistled. He waited. The ground shook and soon a large snake burst from the ground and looked at his master. "Take us to the Atlantic, Creed; we have a boat to catch."

OOooOO

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_**The Battle of Thermopylae: 7000 men lead by Sparta held out for seven days against 100,000-300,000 Persians. **_

_**Firuz: It means victorious in Persian. I thought it would be ironic since he lost.**_

_**Eleutherios: It means free in Greek. Again ironic because he's a slave.**_

_**Disclaimer: It means I don't own PJO, just this epic plot.**_


	2. Qui venatur

_**A/N: Alright, another day another chapter. Now to warn you, some characters will be OOC, but, as I like to mention often, this is an AU and that things always have a funny way of changing. Don't worry though, my good people, it will all be explained in the next chapter. I now bid you,**_ _**adieu. **_

_**And Warning: a few F-Bombs were dropped. I apologize if this causes you any problems.**_

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Amazon Jungle

_Present time…_

_2012_

A Marsh deer stood grazing by a set of enormous, crumbling boulders. Large Redwood trees crouched over the clearing and hid the view from hungry eyes. A breath was taken, the deer's muscles tensed slightly, and the wailing wind stopped.

He aimed and fired.

A cave was nearby, one with a wide entrance and crystal stalagmites hanging from the moist ceiling. Towering grass surrounded the mouth and purple orchids covered the outside. Perseus crouched there, holding his bow's taught string with calloused fingers.

He watched the black arrow sing through the air and plant itself on the deer's hide.

Perseus prided himself with a smirk. Using the bow, even now, felt awkward despite the years he had to practice. His hands were made to wield swords, daggers, even tridents on a good day, never bows. But as a self-proclaimed hunter: he needed them. Only the foolish would try to slay a deer with a sword, and, Perseus huffed arrogantly, he was anything but.

The deer shot off as the cool silver slid into its meaty flesh. Flecks of blood sprayed frantically behind it, marking trees like a trail. His aqua eyes flickered, black swirls of magic laced his clenched hands, and his eyesight warped until the color was removed and he could see the scents of animals in the air.

He followed the pink one dotted with red.

His movements were swift, graceful. Nimble legs hopped over shrubs and Heliconia flowers like an artic wolf would cross over heavy snow. Silent footsteps treaded over moist grass and his whole form breathed through the air smoothly. He _was _a predator, no doubt about it, and he hunted his prey with undying vigor.

Perseus's eyesight flickered once more and he found himself glaring at his surroundings with color. One problem with his inbuilt tracker system, it had a fucking mind of its own. A frustrated sigh escaped his light, pink lips and then an ear piercing whistle blew out of them.

A howl answered his call.

The ground rumbled beneath his feet.

A cry sounded in the distance.

Perseus made himself go faster; felt the air around him warp and cackle. Ebony locks, short but long enough to cover his stunning eyes, whipped behind him like an angry flag in hurricane force winds. His black cloak floated through the air like dripping water, dissolving in the wistful breeze, and his boots scoffed the ground quietly.

Four paws joined in the rhythm of his two.

He glanced to his left. A manned wolf, russet fur glowing underneath the sun, loped beside him. Aqua eyes met emerald green and a silent agreement passed between them. Perseus made his feet go faster; felt his muscles scream in protest. The trees smoothed by in undistinguished blurs.

The manned wolf sped ahead, disappearing in a flash as it took a sharp left turn. Thunder rumbled up above and thick, gray clouds began covering the golden sky. Perseus smelled blood—fresh blood—and he followed the scent wafting through the dense air. The ozone was beginning to thicken.

Raindrops fell onto his sweaty locks and tracked down his face like dirty tears. He was close—so close—close enough to hear the dying deer's heartbeat thump once and fade. Saliva seeped into his mouth like a waterfall, his stomach growled like a livid bear, and hunger hopped on its anxious feet—excited for another meal to fill its undying lust.

A few oak trees stood up ahead, standing tall and proud as the rain pounded on their drenched leaves. He jumped, kicked off the trunk of the left, grabbed the branches of the right, and dived through the middle's leaves as he kicked off the right tree's slippery bark.

His gloved fingers landed in some squirming mud as he peeked through the leaves and soared through the air in a downward arch. Perseus flattened his fingers and used his momentum to push off and swing his legs above his head, twisting them so as they came down his body flung up.

He landed crouched, soaked in mud, with his hair dripping from the pouring rain. His breathing was slightly heavy and he felt a little dizzy from the endless running. The black cloak lay behind him in muddy tatters, the ends completely brown, and his boots were soaked through.

Perseus slowly stood up and—slightly surprised—noticed the manned wolf in front of him, sitting calmly under some thick trees. The marsh deer lay beside it, dead as dirt, and bleeding marginally from an obvious bite mark on its hide. He scowled but glided over.

"You couldn't help yourself could you, Kiba?" He asked as he plopped down on a nearby log, ripping the cloak off and throwing it out into the rain. "This food is for all of us, remember? You can't just infect it with your…doggy germs."

Kiba barked out something akin to a chuckle and soon, realizing how pathetic it was to argue with an animal, he joined in and laughed merrily with his pet. "Whatever. We're all gonna die one day, why not go out with our stomachs filled and the uncontrollable urge to rip people's heads off?"

"Yes why not, and while you're at it, eat some cats as well. I hear their brains are just…exquisite."

Perseus glanced behind him and smiled at the girl hopping down from the branches of a nearby tree. Her auburn hair was plastered to her forehead and neck, and the silver parka she wore brushed off the rain like a bully brushed off a common, schoolyard nerd.

He beamed at her with a small smile and pretended not to notice the fond gleam that flashed in her silver eyes. "Well if it isn't Aunty Arty. What brings you to this neck of the woods my dear relative?" He asked, his smile growing when she sat down beside him.

"Oh nothing, just wandering around the amazon for the scenery I suppose." Perseus chuckled and bumped shoulders with the Goddess lounging on the log beside him. He liked it when she acted playful, or, he mused, when she acted the age she looked. Twelve.

"Your sarcasm never fails, Arty, never fails." He caught the small smile playing on her pink lips and, if possible, beamed brighter. "So what really beings you here, Artemis? Is old man Zeus assigning me another quest? Geez I hope not, my muscles are still achy from that last one." He rubbed his shoulder. "I swear that old geezer's going to be the death of me."

Artemis slowly dropped the smile she was wearing and her silver eyes darkened into a murky gray. "No Percy, this time is…different." He glanced up at the nickname. "Something happened in the mortal world an even the gods can't explain it. We thought since you're considerably older than us, you would be able to identify this…phenomenon."

Perseus stopped moving all together, the smile vanishing from his pale face. Kiba, now gnawing on the deer's bones, sensed the tension and glanced up at its master inquiringly. "Why would I be able to explain it? I haven't seen my father since we lived in the shadow dimension. All I learned was either forgotten or lost in the millions of years I've been alive. Whatever Zeus needs, I can't provide. Go home Arty, I can't help you."

Artemis gazed upon him with desperate eyes, shocking him from saying anything else. "Please Percy," She implored. "You're the only one who knows anything about the Primordial deity's age. We need you."

Perseus's head whipped up faster than nearby lightning struck the ground. "Primordial deity's age? What has that got to do with anything?" His hair thrashed in the raging wind and he had to yell over the condemning thunder.

Artemis frowned. "Just…come look for yourself, Perce." She grabbed his gloved hand with her light, coppery one and, before he could protest, flashed off in a blinding array of silvery light. Thunder crashed overhead.

OOooOO

They landed hard on Olympus's throne room steps. Perseus was kneeling in a crouched position, still wobbly from the sudden altitude change, and Artemis was standing, eyeing the grand throne room nervously.

He glanced up. Massive columns, pure white in color, rose to a domed ceiling which was gilded with moving constellations. Twelve thrones, built for beings the size of Creed, were arranged in an inverted U around the stunning room. An enormous fire cackled in a hearth pit positioned in the middle and he suddenly felt very small with the eyes of the twelve Olympians trained on him.

Perseus stood up, brushed off the feeling of uneasiness, and walked forward with his infamous smirk planted firmly on his mischievous face. "So…" He drawled out the word. "What's the problem, pops?"

Ozone thickened the air. "Shut Up, Brat!" Zeus hollered, though a smidge of affection could be heard in the undertone. The king's pepper speckled hair stood up from the static circling the room and his fingers sparked every few seconds. Perseus smiled as he walked over to the king.

"Whatever old man, you know you love me." He climbed up Zeus's throne and sat on one of the armrests. "Now before I get bored, what's the problem?"

Silence echoed back.

"Uh…am I missing something?"

"Perseus," Aqua eyes glanced over at Athena. Her blonde hair was braided down her straight back and gray eyes glinted coolly. "Just…watch."

"What?"

"Iris, show us the scene. Show us the murder on Queen's street."

Fog started swirling around the room until it connected in the center and thickened. Endless colors flickered, glowed, and warped until a blurry picture formed. It became clearer, clearer, and clearer until it resembled the screen of an HD TV.

_The sun was shining through small kitchen windows. An old fashioned oven was sitting calmly underneath one and a monstrous refrigerator hovered in the corner. The countless counters held batter and stray chocolate chips, and on the island located in the center of the room, bowls of cookies cooled._

"So you're showing me how to bake cookies?"

"Shut up, Brat!"

_A woman walked in. Her long, brown hair was curled up into a loose bun and her eyes the color of warm, rich honey glinted in the afternoon light. She smiled, hummed a familiar tune under her breath, and moved towards the oven to remove the next batch of cookies._

"_My boys will be so excited."_

"Midnight sonata," Perseus mused from his seat on Zeus's armrests. "A famous song written by Beethoven. Almost sounds like a funeral march or—in the very least, pretty depressing. Wouldn't you say, pops?"

"What has this got to do with anything?"

"Well you wanted me to be a detective. I need to pay attention to the details. That's what being a detective is all about—Hey you old geezer, why'd you hit me!"

"Shut up, Brat." Zeus sighed.

_The happy lady kneeled down to open the oven, her humming increasing in volume as classical music radiated out of the other room. "I can't wait to see them."_

_The knife in the sink shook._

"Whoa…did that thing just shake?" Perseus looked around to see the gods nodding their heads. "Man, that's screwy."

_The lady pulled the tray of cookies from the oven but, as she lifted the heavy, not to mention hot metal, the edge hit the counter and the cookies littered the tiled floor. She gasped and kneeled down quickly, holding the broken treats in her slightly wrinkled hands._

_She didn't notice the knife rise into the warm air._

"Turn around lady! Look behind you, you old hag! Turn around!"

_The knife glinted in the sunlight, almost giving a smirk before it plunged in the lady's back. Screams echoed through the small apartment, the knife twisted round. Crimson blood splattered the counters, the tiles by the oven, and the freshly baked cookies broken on the floor. Her dying body lay next to them._

"_What…the…hell?"_

He faintly heard Aphrodite gasp, but his attention was now focused solely on the disgusting scene before him. This seemed so familiar.

_The knife floated down, again and again plunging itself into her stomach, thighs, heart, hips, every single inch of her dying body. It didn't stop until her skin lay in tatters._

_Blood covered the entire floor._

The scene ended.

"That was Mrs. Connie Stoll, the mother of two children attending Camp Half-Blood. They came home and found her there two days after she died. Reports stated rats began eating her body"

"Grody."

Zeus sighed at the slang. "Tell me about it." He paused and gave Perseus a hard stare. "That's what we called you here for."

"To watch a lady get murdered?"

Zeus's face turned red. "No you Idiot! To identify the foe, the villain, the big shebang that caused this mess!"

"Oh." Perseus frowned and jumped down from the king's throne. "Well like I said to Artemis, I can't help you. I haven't lived in the Primordial deity's age in a long time. Any information useful to you was forgotten when it was no longer useful to me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have things to do."

He got to the white marble steps before a stern voice stopped him.

"You're lying, Perseus."

He turned around to face Athena and flashed the best innocent look he could muster. "Huh?"

"You know what caused this—or at least have an idea. If it could protect our children we _need _you to tell us. We forbid you to leave if you don't."

His aqua eyes flashed a deep, endless black. Power radiated from his clenched fists and the room darkened profusely. "Yeah? And who's gonna stop me?" He threatened.

"Please Perce," His dark eyes flitted over to Artemis. "If you know something, anything, you need to tell us. I know you hate mortals after what they did, but please," She whimpered. "We need to know."

Perseus sighed, but the power faded and his soft, aqua blue eyes returned. "No, you don't." He saw Artemis's triumphant smile fade and smirked softly. "Whoever did this is powerful, way more powerful than any of you guys. I have a hunch at who it is and I'm praying to the gods right now that I'm wrong. You should just leave it be and forget this ever happened."

"We can't Perseus!" Athena Argued, he gray eyes flashing angrily. "Our children's lives are in danger. We can't compromise their safety because we're scared. We should get down there and protect them!"

Choruses of 'yeahs' echoed around the room. He sighed. "Whatever. Kill yourselves, it doesn't matter to me." He began walking down the steps.

"Wait, Perseus!" Zeus called. He stopped but didn't turn around. "We need your help."

"Yeah?"

"We need someone to travel to camp and protect them there. Someone who's powerful, fearless, and knowledgeable about this unknown foe. We need you, Perseus; we completely and utterly need you."

The gods watched him anxiously.

"Reduced to begging, Zeus?" Perseus sighed and his statement left the throne room silent. His aqua eyes glared hard into Zeus's. "Whatever," He said as he began walking towards the entrance. "I'll be at your fucking camp around 22 hundred. Let them know."

And he left.

"Athena?" Zeus asked, strangely feeling guilty. He watched Perseus until he was gone.

"Yes?"

"Contact Chiron. Tell him to make a room and for the campers to be on their best behavior tomorrow. I don't want any demigods dead due to an angry immortal child."

"Yes, Lord Zeus."

OOooOO

Perseus sighed as he sharpened a knife he got from his father. The hilt of the dagger was a bronze dragon with a tail that curved under to make the grip. Sharp teeth blew copper flame from its hard mouth and the fire reached out and twisted down to make the double-edged blade.

He rubbed a calloused finger down the edge and smiled fondly as the silver returned his reflection. It gleamed under the gentle moon. Perseus shifted on the fallen log he chose to rest at and glanced up at the sky with bored eyes. What he saw made him frown.

"Oi, Kiba, I think it's time to go."

Kiba, the manned wolf, was lounging beside the log, lazily chewing on the deer's carcass it caught earlier. It looked up at its master and nodded its fluffy head. It stood up, yawned, then walked over to brush against Perseus's leg in comfort. He smiled.

"Yeah, it's going to be one hell of a vacation." He sighed for what seemed like the umpteenth time and ran fingers through russet fur. "Let's go get the others."

_Yep _he thought _one hell of a vacation indeed._

OOooOO

* * *

_**Next chapter: Percy's past will be explained, his powers, and Blaise (the mystery pet). The mystery will begin to deepen and Camp Half-Blood will be introduced.**_

_**Stay tuned for the next installment of "I Am Legend" coming out soon.**_

_**Manned Wolf: A wolf commonly found in South America, fur similar to a fox's. **_

_**Marsh Deer: A deer found in the Amazon or South America. Same place basically**_

_**Heliconia: Flowers found in the amazon.**_

_**I don't own PJO, just this awesome plot that borders on EXTREMELY EPIC…to me anyway.**_


	3. A Castra Amicis et Hostibus

_**A/N: Hell yes, I updated! Kind of ironic though since the only reason I had time to write was because I dislocated my knee and got to stay home from school for a day. I'm not complaining or anything, but I could do without the knee pain.**_

_**Anyway, this chapter's not too exciting. There's a clip of Percy's past at the beginning, and then it goes on to introduce Camp Half-Blood and a few more characters needed for the story. However, to all of those action junkies out there, there will be some. I don't think I could write a chapter without any.**_

_**Oh and there are some Latin words in the story that may be unfamiliar to you. At the end of this chapter, you can find what they mean in English…or roughly I should say.**_

* * *

_Shadow Dimension_

_Time Unknown_

_Date Unknown_

The stars were out and the nearby forest ravens were cawing as he traveled past. Twin swords hung off the thick, leather belt he wore around his lithe waist, and they clinked every so often as he stepped over a fallen log. The air was damp.

He clung tighter to the bundle in his arms as a wolf's howl echoed off the bark of some nearby weeping trees—silver trees with emerald leaves that flowed down like a giant's tears. The mystery bundle shifted, and he peered down to check his precious cargo.

Erebus, Primordial deity of Shadows and Darkness, stopped under a weeping tree with a fairly large canopy, and gazed down at the young toddler glaring up at him with gleaming, yellow eyes. He chuckled lightly. One calloused finger caressed a chubby, pale cheek and moved to feel a mop of black hair. A tender smile adorned his harsh face.

"Welcome to the world…Perseus."

Erebus again smiled at the sight of his young son glaring at him before he lifted his head to gaze at the endless night sky above them.

Three red moons hung in the middle of the grand heavens, shining a dark, red light from their round bodies. Trillions of sparkling gems danced around the twirling lunas, shooting stars of obsidian fire arched from one end to the other, and dozens of planets gazed down upon the shadow dimension in humble glory.

The place was paradise.

Oceans the color of rich, sapphire held shadow creatures like Umbra Loca, Daemonium Delphini, and schools of Homo Esus Piscium—Shadow sharks, demon dolphins, and waves of man-eating fish. The dark forests contained Umbra Daemons and the plains of smooth, emerald grass inhabited Tenebris Equos—horses made of pure darkness.

The trees were made of silver and their leaves made of gold. The acid rain always poured, the night sky never relented, and the rivers of black ran throughout the dimension like veins. Vortexes, swirls of silver and black, rested above the Eastern Mountains, and Black holes spitting with lava crouched behind the Western ones.

Everything here in the Shadow Realm was a slave to the darkness.

And he, Erebus, was the king and wielder of it all.

The bundle moved in his arms again, moving Erebus's attention back to the little prince glaring harshly at him once more. The tyke's shark-like teeth were exposed this time, aiming to chomp down on the finger caressing Perseus's cheek. The Primordial deity chortled once more.

"You sure are a feisty one."

Yellow eyes never left his, and a knowing smile settled on the elder's face. "You'll be a great warrior someday."

* * *

_Camp Half-Blood_

_22:00_

_2012_

Yellow eyes surveyed the foliage around him. Withering oak trees hunched over like elders with too much time on their shoulders, patches of clover circled proud Redwoods, and silvery moonflowers rested on a small log housing a family of turtles. His night vision pounded against the shadows clinging onto him lovingly.

Steel-toed boots breezed over the half frozen ground like knives brushed over soft skin. Perseus ducked under a low hanging branch and hopped over a pit of quicksand. The air was frosty, and it bit the skin not covered by his cloak. Breaths twirled in the air as he released them.

"We're almost there, Kiba." His husky voice broke the silence.

Perseus heard an answering yip and he smiled under the shadows of his hood. A calloused hand wrapped around one of the hilts belonging to his twin swords, a naked thumb caressing the moonstone gem placed among the swirls of silver lacing the pitch black metal.

Walking through the woods reminded him of a time when he was nothing but a tyke, a child. When the swords he carried belonged to his father and he was being cradled by the king of darkness himself. His smile lessened a bit.

The trees were beginning to thin as he and his loyal pet exited the dark, dense forest surrounding the wretched camp he was jogging towards. A hill was ahead, a slightly steep one and he had to dig his heels into the ground to prevent himself from slipping on the cooling ice.

Perseus backed up a few steps, his yellow eyes flashing brighter as black magic hovered around his feet. He stood there for a moment, fighting the dull ache of pain that always presented itself whenever he used his powers. Perseus stepped forward again and breathed. Once…twice.

He was off. He ran to the hill, leaped into the air, planted his steel boots into the ground as he landed, and pushed off. The wind whipped around him as his body soared high into the air, one hand grabbing the branch of a nearby oak tree and wrapping itself around the sturdy limb.

Perseus swung his body round, twisting it as his legs vacillated back. He landed crouched on the branch, yellow eyes gleaming as deadly power radiated from his very being. He glanced down and smiled at his height. At least 200 hundred feet in the air. He felt the wind push against the oak.

Breathing deeply, he pushed off again. Landing on a nearby tree's branch then jumping off to fly to another. Perseus gripped, jumped, soared, and landed, flying through the trees masked as a blur. Leaves caught in his flowing locks as the silky strands blew behind him.

He faintly heard Kiba following him from the ground and smiled as he quickened his speed. Camp was coming up now; he saw the lights from a few cabins pulsing against the night's shadows. A large branch appeared in front of him and he dove forward to grab it.

Gloved hands wrapped around the thick limb, spinning him round as he flew up and forward. He released and his body went flying. Feet first, he whipped through the emerald leaves and sharp, protruding branches, breaking through the endless canopies and whipping up into the night sky.

Perseus spun so that his head and hair looked towards the heavens and then wrapped his arms around his body as he fell to the frozen ground beneath him. The air bit him harshly.

He was closing in on the ground, his true demon eyes spotting the individual blades of grass from at least 100 feet above the earth. Perseus slowly unwrapped his arms from around his body. The ground was near, so close that he began to see the worms wiggling underneath the grass.

Perseus bent his knees slightly, let his eyes flow back into cool aqua, and released the magic swirling around his feet. Two steel-toed boots collided with the ground and ripples of shaking earth waved away from his crouched body, shaking the loose rocks as some nearby flowers withered from his power.

His cloak flowed in the air before settling around him and holding him close. Perseus stood up slowly, shaking his legs as he did so. A small but noticeable crater was positioned all around him, and some stray dirt littered his tight, black pants. He scowled.

Kiba pulled up beside him and gave Perseus a harsh glare as it struggled to catch its breath. The Prince of darkness chuckled at this, frown lifting from his handsome face as gloved fingers weaved themselves through fox like fur. "Why are you looking at me like that? It's not my fault I didn't feel like walking up that damn hill." He glanced down and looked towards the bottom of the hill from his position at the top. "Too much work."

He chuckled again as Kiba growled under his fingers, and looked back towards camp. His whole being froze.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."

Perseus stood atop Half-Blood hill glaring at the camp stationed below. Kiba, sensing its master's discomfort, rubbed against his leg silently, emitting a low growl to assure him it felt the same. He frowned. The ebony sky darkened a bit.

They were on the north shore of Long Island, the surrounding water stretching endlessly under the midnight moon. The landscape was dotted with buildings that looked like ancient Greek architecture—an open-aired pavilion dressed in white marble with flecks of gold, a circular arena equipped with straw dummies, and an amphitheater fit for a king. They were almost exact replicas of the buildings from ancient Greece and he was hit with a sudden wave of nostalgia.

Kids around his image age, sixteen, were drenched, littered, or dumped everywhere grass played its endless game of survival. Some wore heaps of unnecessary armor; others wore helmets with tufts of red or blue hair streaming from the top. All sported obnoxious orange shirts and pathetic leather necklaces adorned with painted, wooden beads.

A forest off to the right took up half of the valley, with trees so tall and thick you could barely see past their brown bark and emerald green leaves. Haunting growls whispered through the thick leaves and moans shifted from underground. Beyond the tree line it was dark, dark and dense and full of ruthless monsters waiting to strike.

Cabins, exactly a dozen, were nestled in the nearby forest by the lake. They were arranged in a U with two at the base and five in a row on either side. Each one had its own personal decorations, matching the god it was associated with, and cabin numbers were positioned above the doors.

All in all, it wasn't what he was expecting. A war camp with fierce, ruthless warriors practice battling at every turn, archery training commencing every hour, battle drills, battle plans, and strategies being learned, reviewed, and memorized—not this, no, not this pathetic sight before him. An uncomfortable feeling of disappointment bubbled up his stomach and meandered its way into his tight throat, clouding any praise his mind desperately sought after. This camp was nothing like he expected and, for once in his life, he felt homesick.

Perseus glanced at the campers again, noting that they seemed to preparing for some kind of…battle. A snort escaped him and a cruel smirk stretched across his pale face. "These weaklings couldn't fight to save their lives."

Kiba nudged his leg in agreement.

The duo watched the kids seemingly separate into two groups, carry a flag into the woods, and march off in opposite directions, each shouting a loud, obnoxious chant as they disappeared. Perseus, in all honesty, was confused and somewhat disgusted. "What kind of battle strategy is that? It almost looks like they're playing some kind of…game."

"That's because they are, Lord Perseus."

Perseus smirked and kept watching the silent camp in front of him. "Capture the flag? It's hard to tell with the way the weaklings acted. All serious and warlike, it almost made me believe they were going off to fight a monster of some sort. I apologize for getting ready to contact Hades."

He turned slightly and eyed the man standing beside him. He was middle-aged with thinning brown hair and a scruffy beard on his sharp chin. A white horse body, sweat on the fur making it shine, was connected to the man's torso and blended in with creamy, pale skin. A faint scent of coffee wafted to his nose.

The man he figured to be Chiron, one of the greatest centaur to ever live, mumbled something under his breath, but a fond smile lightened up his weathered face. "It's great to see you again, Percy." His smile grew when he saw the young immortal smirk. "It has been a long time since I've seen you, too long."

"Yeah, I've missed you too, Pops. Nobody tells stories like you do."

Chiron's smile grew as he gestured towards the silent camp. "Come on, I'll show you around while the campers are off playing their little game. It's a big place and I don't want you getting lost."

He began trotting towards a Big Blue house off to the right. Its blue shingles glowed a little under the gentle moon as the crisp, white siding shone brightly. Two beds of flowers decorated each side of a small porch. Perseus followed with a smirk.

"No need, Pops." He pulled out a wrinkled piece of paper from his pants pocket and tossed it to the centaur as Chiron glanced back. He caught it and unrolled the parchment. "I have the entire place memorized."

Chiron read over the paper, his eyes widening as minutes passed. "Where'd you get a map?" He asked, bewildered.

Perseus casually walked past the frozen centaur, Kiba following him loyally. An arrogant tone weaved its way into his husky voice and aqua eyes glittered with mischief. "I'm Zeus's favorite, whether he admits it or not. All I had to do was ask and he provided this little beauty right here."

He lifted a pale hand and his eyes flashed to black. The map swirled with ebony magic and floated up into the cool air, swiftly landing into his awaiting hand. Perseus's eyes went back to normal, but he cringed slightly as the magic dissipated

Chiron frowned and he gripped Perseus's shoulder. "It still pains you." It wasn't a question. "After all these years, you are still paying the darkness's price."

Perseus shrugged him off and stalked forward slightly. It was silent as the two walked towards the Big House. Perseus sighed and Kiba rubbed his leg.

"Pain, energy, and life: the ultimate price for wielding the darkness in its purest form. The more power projected, the more pain acquired. Your energy weakens, your senses fade, and your life force becomes vulnerable as your will projects it into your soul self." Perseus quoted.

Chiron was shocked slightly at the sudden outburst, but recovered and argued back. "That doesn't explain why you still feel pain that extreme!"

"There is always, _always_, a repercussion for my actions. Every time I use the darkness, I get stronger, the pain becomes slightly more bearable, and I become more connected to my element. I'm still young though, and as I use the darkness, it takes a little more of my life force. I'm slowly dying, giving away my immortal soul; of course it's going to be painful. Darkness is a sadistic bitch after all."

Chiron said nothing, his frown still planted firmly on his face. "I'm sorry—"

"Chiron!"

Both turned as a voice shouted the centaur's name. He felt more than saw Perseus smirk, and a feeling of dread caught in his throat. This meeting was _not _going to be a pleasant one. Perseus shifted beside him, throwing his hood over his head and calling Kiba to command. Chiron glanced at him worriedly.

"Chiron!" His eyes went back to the camper speaking. "Who's this?"

A blonde girl with bright, gray eyes rudely pointed to Perseus, and sneered as she saw the strange looking wolf growling at her. Her skin was tanned and she wore a tight fitting shirt labeled with the Camp's name. Short jean shorts hugged her thin legs. Chiron faintly heard Perseus chuckle and whisper 'slut' under his breath.

"This, Annabeth," he gestured towards the amused immortal. "Is Lord Perseus, our new camp counselor."

All campers gasped and Annabeth's eyes widened profusely. "Wha…what?"

Perseus rolled his aqua eyes. "Is everyone here an idiot?"

Campers watched he with wide eyes as their mouth's hung open in shock. A few satyrs fainted, some nymphs blushed and ran off, and the forest fairies giggled as they flew off to gossip. One kid bravely stepped forward.

"You mean you're Perseus, _the Perseus, _from all of those famous legends?"

Perseus smirked. "You bet, kid."

If possible, the weird kid's eyes widened and grew shinier. "That means you're the son of Erebus! The adopted child of the gods, the champion of Olympus, the—"

"Yes!" Perseus interrupted, his husky voice taking on a light, demonic tone. "I'm everything, okay? Now please just shut up and quit blabbering…annoying imbecile."

The campers quieted and the curly-haired kid stumbled back. Perseus turned to Chiron. "Where should I put my stuff?"

Chiron sighed and rubbed Perseus's hair fondly. He was still the same, rude, and impulsive bratty kid he knew so long ago. "Follow me Percy, I'll show you to your room."

The duo left, leaving the campers to watch their retreating backs in shock. The curly-haired kid released a few tears.

"I didn't mean to anger him!" He cried desperately, legs aching to run after the dark prince. "I just…I just wanted to be his friend."

The blonde girl, Annabeth, walked over to him and placed her hand on his shaking shoulder. "It's all right, Grover. That guy's a douchebag anyway; you don't want to be his friend."

She squeezed his shoulder gently, giving him a kind smile, before she began walking away, her blonde hair swaying in the night's breeze. Slowly the stunned campers followed, mumbling gossip under their breaths. Grover stayed behind and sighed sadly as he watched Perseus disappear from his view.

"I…I need a can."

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_**So…hey there! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know some things are confusing and not explained, but be patient please. This story's just starting, if I told you everything, there would no point in reading anymore. That's just unacceptable.**_

_**I apologize for the boring chapter, any unintentional character bashing, the late update, and the confusion. Please review and let me know what you think, also tell me if you spot any grammar mistakes. I can't find them all. **_

_**Lunas: Moons**_

_**Umbra Daemons: Shadow demons**_

_**I don't own PJO, only the plot, the pets, and the EPIC-ness that is involved.**_


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